Joanna felt the cold pool water on her feet. Her eyes are watching DJ playing on the pool with Delia assisting him. King sat beside her, his feet also dipping in the pool water. He handed her a kiwi juice while he is enjoying a bottle of beer. “DJ is really growing up fast,” King said while looking at the child.
“He truly is. I am now starting to think how I can introduce DK as his father” she replied. King looked at her; she turned to him; her eyes were captivated by his. King felt the world suddenly stopped. It has been so long since he looked at her that way. She can feel King’s sincere gaze on her lips.
Zaydi walked around the hotel to take some photos using his camera. When he heard water splashes, he immediately went to the poolside to take photos of his nephew DJ. He was about to shutter the camera button when the background caught his attention. “Holy cow” he whispered and sneakingly focused the camera’s lens to Joanna and King who are about to kiss.
He snapped the photos and ran as fast as he could to where DK was staying. DK raised his eyebrows, looking at his cousin who is catching his breath with a camera hanging on his neck. “You won’t believe what I saw,” Zaydi said. “What? Did a ghost run after you?” DK jokingly asked. Zaydi tsked, opening his camera to show him some photos.
“See for yourself” Zaydi replied while handing over the camera to DK. He grabbed it and scrolled to its camera.
“What’s with this? Series of views and landscapes? I know how beautiful my hotel and resort are” he said chuckling. Zaydi shook his head and scrolled down to the latest pictures he had taken. “How come your wife is flirting with your friend?” Zaydi asked.
DK’s eyes widened upon seeing what Zaydi wanted to show. His heart tightened in pain and he could feel jealousy filling up his system. He zoomed the photo more to see Joanna’s reaction. She never looked at him as passionately as what he could see from the photo. “Send those photos to me” DK requested. “But…” Zaydi does not want to but DK’s glare made him feel that he is not accepting refusal.
DK went outside to the poolside. He stood from afar and watched King and Joanna sitting beside the swimming pool. They are laughing as if they have no problems. And what shook him the most is how King gave her a kiss on the cheek. He could not contain himself; his emotions were killing him from the inside.
DK turned around; eyes in disbelief. Joanna looked at King with eyes full of shock. “King, I think you should rest up. You’re drunk” she said while pushing herself away from King. “Why? You did not let me kiss you on the lips. Now you don’t want me to kiss you on your cheek?” he asked. Zaydi misinterpreted the photos. Joanna shook her head, “I still love DK. I still do” she said; her eyes showed King how much she is faithful to her husband.
King clenched his jaw. “After all these things. I still cannot make you love me” he said and left Joanna alone in the poolside. He was about to return to his hotel room when he saw DK staring blankly on the hotel’s lobby. DK scoffed, “You jerk. How can you steal Joanna away from me?” he asked with a hint of grudge.
King chuckled, “Oh, you saw us kissing. Am I right?” he teased. DK went near him with a sharp gaze in his eyes. “Tell me. How much do you love my wife?” DK asked while looking straight at King’s eyes. He replied firmly, “I love him more than you do. Too bad, he chose you first. But this time, I am winning this game. Next time you’ll know, she is already mine… Oh, not only her, but also your son” King intimidated.
DK nodded. “Is she happy that you are around?” he asked again. King answered, still standing on his ground. “Didn’t you see? Does she feel the same way whenever she is with you? The more you push herself to you, the more she can feel the pain. You are suffocating Joanna. How dare you call her your wife if you cannot bring back her smile?”.
DK can feel his thoughts flooding. As time goes by, he can understand King’s intentions towards his wife and his son. DK gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Thanks for being there for them. Don’t worry, I won’t serve as your hindrance” he said and turned around, going upstairs to the master suite where he and Joanna spent the midnight.
He sat on the bed and caressed the crib he personally made for DJ. Tears started flowing down his cheeks. He let out his sobs; no one could hear it anyway. He thought that he is indeed selfish for forcing Joanna back into his life. He opened the glass display on the kitchen bar and drank it straight from the bottle. Christmas is not even over; they should still be celebrating but there he is inside the master suite, drowning himself with alcohol.
All of them are already on the long table to end Christmas with a dinner except for DK who did not appear since late afternoon. Miss Elizaga asked, “Where is DK? I thought we would have dinner together?”. JL answered, “Maybe he is just in the shower. Let me call him”. Miss Elizaga just nodded and let JL go upstairs to the master suite together with Silas. Joanna stopped them and gave them the key card just in case it was locked.
The elevator is tinged; the hallway is well-lit. They knocked on the door first but heard no response. They tapped on the key card and twisted open the knob. “Why is it dark here? Maybe he’s not inside” Silas said while looking around. JL turned on the lights and answered, “It reeks of alcohol”. They looked at each other and immediately searched the spaces of the master suite.
To their surprise, they saw DK on the balcony, still having drinks. JL forcefully pulled the alcohol bottle from his hand and scolded, “Why are you drowning yourself with liquor? Didn’t you ask us to spend the holidays with you and your family?”. Silas added, “You did not even inform Aunt Carmina that you prefer not to join the meal”.
He answered with emotionless eyes. He can feel the toxicity already. “I… I didn’t know things would not go as planned” he answered. JL’s eyebrows crossed; “What do you mean?” he asked out of confusion. DK opened his phone and showed some photos to Silas and JL. They were shocked upon seeing it. “Where did you get these? Did you take them?” JL asked but DK just shook his head.
“Zaydi was the one who saw. And it will break me more if no one saw it” DK answered while pouring liquor in his glass. JL exhaled, “That darn King is really something. My perception of him is validated,” he said while thinking through.